Air brushes are widely used in the graphic arts and elsewhere for depositing or applying paint, ink and other pigments by atomizing paint and the like into a moving air stream. Conversely, it is also known to provide an air eraser in which very fine abrasive grit is carried by a moving air stream in order abrasively to remove pigments from a base or substrate. Prior art air erasers have been plagued by various problems. In some instances they have been difficult to hold and to aim. Various constructional features, such as valving of the air stream with entrained abrasive particulate material, or movement of such an air stream about corners has caused undersired precipitation of the abrasive particulate material with resulting clogging of the flow passages. In some instances the reservoir or the like for the abrasive material has been of a restricted size, or has interfered with facile operation of the air eraser.